The 2011 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) for Adhesion Science will present cutting edge research on soft material physics and mechanics, bio-inspired adhesives and cell adhesion. The invited speakers representing a variety of scientific disciplines are in the forefront of their field. The format of GRC (small number of attendees all staying at the same location and attending the same talks, 1 hr talks with ample time for discussion, free afternoons for interaction) are designed to stimulate the free exchange of ideas. To achieve broader impact to education, a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on adhesion science is held one day prior to the GRC at the same location. The GRS provides a highly-stimulating and non-intimidating environment for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to present their research in talks and poster sessions. There is also a one hour mentorship session on grant writing and career advancement led by an experienced researcher. The GRC on Adhesion Science will be held from July 24 - 29 at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, U.S.A.
If successful, this GRC will expand adhesion science into new areas such as cell adhesion and bio-inspired adhesives. It will lead to new collaborations between adhesion scientists and biologists to solve a new set of technological and scientific problems. The GRS will allow graduate and postdoctoral students to build informal networks with their peers that may lead to a lifetime of collaboration and scientific achievement. Since all GRS participants are strongly encouraged to attend the GRC, many of these young researchers will be able to participate in scientific discussions and to socialize with top scholars in different disciplines. In both conferences, special effort will be made by the chairs to increase the attendance of underrepresented groups and people with disabilities.
The Gordon Research Conference on SCIENCE OF ADHESION was held at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, July 24-29, 2011. The Conference was well-attended with 98 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 98 attendees, 40 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 40 respondents, 53% were Minorities – 45% Hispanic, 8% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 21% of the participants at the 2011 meeting were women. In designing the formal speakers program, emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate lively discussion about the key issues in the field today. Time for formal presentations was limited in the interest of group discussions. In order that more scientists could communicate their most recent results, poster presentation time was scheduled. Attached is a copy of the formal schedule and speaker program and the poster program. In addition to these formal interactions, "free time" was scheduled to allow informal discussions. Such discussions are fostering new collaborations and joint efforts in the field. Thank you for your support of this Conference. As you know, in the interest of promoting the presentation of unpublished and frontier-breaking research, Gordon Research Conferences does not permit publication of meeting proceedings.
